I first heard this song in the episode of The Simpsons "'Round Springfield," and I listened to the original playing while sitting in the break area at the local grocery store, so here's the whole song.



Here's the The Simpsons version.



I used to watch but became alienated due to things like child abuse (which hits home for me but at a more emotional and psychological than physical level), school violence (in repeating what I said in my previous parentheses), and topical humor (which tends to date fictitious television shows).

This 2004 entry to Disney’s animated film canon occurs in the Old West, with wanted cattle rustler Alameda Slim, who can lure along bovines with his hypnotic yodeling, purloining those of Dixon Ranch. The remaining cow, Maggie, is sold to a farm called Patch of Heaven. A local sheriff, Sam, informs its owner, Pearl, that she must pay back a bank in three days, or her farm will go to auction. The cows ultimately decide to pursue Slim for the reward money to save their farm, aided by their fellow farm animals and others.

I’ll admit that given the horrid titular opening theme song, Home on the Range didn’t leave a positive first impression on me. Furthermore, I don't care for most music that features yodeling of any kind; however, a few like that during the ending credits are pleasant. The voice performances are decent, like Roseanne Barr as bovine protagonist Maggie, Cuba Gooding Jr. as Buck the horse, and Randy Quaid (aside from his singing) as Alameda Slim. Unfortunately, the writing frequently sounds awkward, and some plot beats, like Slim's yodeling, didn't sit well with me. Overall, this film ranks below average in my view of Disney’s animated films.

I finally did a price sheet for my Furs across the World YCH.

I also did this art as a request from a DeviantArt user.

When I first started watching this live-action science-fiction dramedy on Fox the last decade, I assumed it would be a knockoff of the Star Trek series, but given the repertoire of showrunner Seth MacFarlane, responsible for animated series such as Family Guy, American Dad!, and The Cleveland Show, I knew it would be a more lighthearted take on the sci-fi genre. The series opens with up-and-coming Planetary Union officer Ed Mercer, portrayed by MacFarlane, catching his wife, Kelly Grayson, having an affair with an alien, which leads to their divorce. A year later, Mercer receives command of the eponymous spaceship, with Grayson, to his shock, becoming his first officer.

The Orville isn’t shy about its Star Trek inspirations, beginning with its music. The opening credits theme takes inspiration from “Life Is a Dream,” Jerry Goldsmith’s central composition of the first and the fifth Star Trek Original Series films as well as The Next Generation, a similarity more so apparent in the season three remix. The Planetary Union is a nod to the United Federation of Planets from Trek, along with the various alien races, with sundry conflicts erupting throughout the series, chiefly with the Krill, a vampiric and ultrareligious society. The robotic Kaylons, with one of its members, Isaac, serving as a neutral ambassador aboard the Orville, also come into play later.

Other notable crew members include Bortus, a member of the Moclan race with deadpan speech patterns that make for some occasional humor, who mates with Klyden and has a child named Topa, born female, which is rare among their species in their male-dominant society. The episode “About a Girl” focuses on the couple’s decision to change Topa’s gender to male to conform to Moclan society, which hit home to me as an autistic and receives a follow-up in the third season. Another first-season episode, “Majority Rule,” focuses on a twenty-first-century society reigned by upvotes and downvotes, touching upon themes such as the role of social media and public shaming, which parallels modern cancel culture.

The Orville has a pretty good selection of stars, both guest and recurring, aside from Seth MacFarlane. Brian George, who played the Pakistani restauranteur Babu Bhatt in Seinfeld, and various other Indian or Pakistani characters in other media (despite being Israeli), plays a researcher in the first episode. The late Norm Macdonald plays Yaphit, an amorphous blob with a crush on Doctor Claire Finn, and briefly appears in human form thanks to the ship’s Environmental Simulator (which Isaac also uses when he tries to woo Finn). Patrick Warburton plays a long-nosed alien in a few episodes, and Ted Danson recurs as an Admiral in the Planetary Union throughout the entire series.

Overall, I had a great time watching The Orville, which largely avoids the pitfalls of MacFarlane’s animated shows, such as the drawn-out gags and topical references (but there is some sound sociopolitical commentary that never becomes ham-fisted) and strikes a balance between being humorousness and seriousness. I found it an excellent homage and even rival to the various Star Trek series (and it did semi-compete with Discovery upon its original release), which evokes Trek’s feel (musically and aesthetically) while standing well in its own right. I would happily watch future seasons should the series continue and consider it a capstone among Seth MacFarlane's television productions.

Based on “Happy Dan, the Cynical Dog” by Ward Greene, this Disney classic opens at Christmastime in 1909 when a husband, addressed as “Jim Dear,” gives his wife, termed “Darling,” a Cocker Spaniel puppy as a present, ultimately named Lady. Years later, the stray terrier-mix Tramp encounters the pampered pooch, neglected due to Jim and his wife expecting a baby. Jim’s Aunt Sarah visits with her destructive Siamese cats after the child is born to babysit; after muzzling Lady, she escapes with Tramp, having it removed at the zoo and touring the town with her. Events at Jim’s home result in Tramp’s capture and potential euthanasia, although Lady’s canine friends go to the rescue.

Overall, Lady and the Tramp is easily one of Walt Disney’s hallmark films, with its music being notable and giving good character to the scenes. The opening credits theme, “Bella Notte,” recurs during the iconic scene at an Italian restaurant where Lady and Tramp share a spaghetti dinner, which Disney initially didn’t want in the film but is one of its highlights. However, the dog-howling rendition of “Home! Sweet Home!” at the pound (see below) feels like a case of Leave the Camera Running since it doesn’t add much to the film. Mileage will vary regarding ethnic stereotypes like the feline Si and Am’s musical self-introduction. Regardless, I found it a fun watch and would easily recommend it to those not of the modern “woke” crowd.

The first holiday special based on The Bad Guys serves as a prequel to the film, focusing on the eponymous animal-populated criminal gang as they seek to rob a bank on Christmas on account that most in their city will be celebrating home. At a parade, however, their car accidentally destroys a Santa Claus balloon, causing the city’s holiday mood to plummet to the point where Christmas gets canceled. Thus, they seek to cheer up the residents so they can commit their heist as intended, although they hit some hitches in their plan, and the end doesn't pan out as expected. However, it ties into potential future specials, and I enjoyed the revisit to the world of the Bad Guys overall.

This Disney film celebrated its thirty-fifth anniversary this year (among other Disney milestones in 2023, including the studio’s centennial), and I gave it another watch. Interestingly, in 1988, it was released around the same time as another Charles Dickens literature-inspired film, Scrooged. Disney’s loose adaptation follows the eponymous New York City street cat Oliver, who is recruited by the dog Dodger (voiced by singer Billy Joel) into a canine gang headed by human bargeman Fagin (played by Dom DeLuise), at the mercy of the film’s main antagonist, the loan shark Sykes (portrayed by Robert Loggia).

After a failed attempt by Fagin’s dogs to rob a limousine, Oliver is adopted by young rich girl Jenny Foxworth, to the dismay of her family’s poodle Georgette, brought to life by Bette Midler. Other performances include Cheech Marin as the chihuahua Tito. The attempt by Fagin’s dogs to recapture Oliver leads to Jenny being held hostage by Fagin and Sykes for ransom. The film has some good music, including “Why Should I Worry?” performed by Joel and “Perfect Isn’t Easy” by Midler. While it deviates from Oliver Twist, I enjoyed it; furthermore, though it occurs in the “real world” of 1988, it luckily avoids topical references that would tend to date films of its type.

Thought I'd give this a rewatch since it recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. Essentially a retelling by Disney of the English folktale of Robin Hood with animals, introduced by minstrel narrator Alan-a-Dale as a rooster voiced by singer Roger Miller. English actor Brian Bedford voices the eponymous fox, and Disney voice-acting veteran Phil Harris voices Little John, with lion Prince John, obsessed with taxing everyone into poverty, serving as regent while his brother King Richard is off on the Crusades. Has some great, catchy music like Miller's "Whistle Stop" and "Oo-De-Lally", along with "The Phony King of England" as sung by Harris. There is some recycling of animation from prior Disney films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (most visible in Harris's said musical number), The Aristocats, and The Jungle Book (where he voiced sloth bear Baloo, incidentally), and the voice performances in general date to the film to the 1970s (although I liked the mix of ethnic, non-ethnic, and American actors playing the characters, like the Southern-sounding Sheriff of Nottingham) but this is definitely one of my favorite tellings of Robin Hood and animated film from Disney.

Rewatched this this morning since today is Mexico's Independence Day (which Cinco de Mayo, May 5th, is not, but instead Battle of Puebla Day). It follows Donald Duck's birthday as he receives gifts from Latin American avians, the parrot José Carioca of Brazil (and his first name is pronounced "joe-zay," not "ho-zay" since Portuguese speakers pronounced j's mostly like Anglophones do) and the Mexican rooster Panchito Pistoles, who form the eponymous group and travel the world south of the United States. Pretty much a period piece as far as classic animation goes, but it's mildly entertaining.

I watched this modern adaptation of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West last Saturday, but never got around to writing about it, probably because I don't feel strongly about it one way or the other, as seems to be the case for me regarding most films.